In Canada, a pioneering company is working with partners to deploy Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology and the Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) data that drives it.
As the carbon removal industry matures, data driven measurement and transparency are paramount.
Commercial customers need to trust that the carbon credits they’re purchasing are tied to tangible carbon removal.
Deep Sky, a Montreal-based carbon removal project developer, is working on CO2 assessment calculations with the real-world operational data.
Deep Sky has partnered with Mission Zero Technologies (MZT), a pioneer of high-efficiency Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to deploy DAC facilities in Canada.
The partners will begin with a first-of-a-kind (FOAK) demonstration of the technology capturing 250 tons of CO₂ annually – with the aim to eventually build commercial facilities that capture between 100,000 and one million tons annually.
As the world’s first gigaton-scale carbon removal company, Deep Sky will operate a DAC system from Mission Zero Technologies as part of its Alpha Lab test facility.
The Mission Zero Technologies FOAK system will be located in Quebec in 2024 and will tap into the region’s vast reserves of renewable hydroelectric energy.
The partnership aims to validate the technology for commercial deployment in Canada as part of Deep Sky’s mission to develop Canada into a world-leading hub for carbon removal.
This FOAK plant follows successful demonstrations of Mission Zero’s technology as part of pilot and R&D work.
Mission Zero’s DAC process produces high-grade CO₂ and is entirely electrically powered.
Its dynamic CO₂ electrochemical separation technology allows for effective integration with load-variable renewable sources of electricity.
The process leverages existing, scaled and mature technologies, such as cooling towers and electrochemical water purification. Since this electrodialysis process does not require heat, it helps reduce total energy consumption.
“Moving at hyper-scale, Deep Sky is gathering the top DAC technology providers in the world,” said Damien Steel, Deep Sky CEO. “Mission Zero is a pioneer, establishing a modularized DAC technology that is projected to reduce both energy consumption and cost. With the addition of Mission Zero’s tech at our Alpha Lab facility in Canada, commercialized carbon removal at scale is within reach.”
“We are thrilled to partner with such a visionary company,” said Dr. Nicholas Chadwick, CEO, Mission Zero Technologies.
“Deep Sky recognises the primacy of DAC for delivering carbon removal at scale. Our partnership will cement Canada’s importance as a future location for multi-megaton DAC projects and enrich our own industry’s understanding of operating DAC in diverse climates and geographies.”
DAC is a negative emissions technology (NET) that allows the recovery of atmospheric carbon so it can then be utilized or stored. It is a technology recognized globally and identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as critical for meeting global climate targets and can also replace fossil fuels as a source of carbon feedstock for industry, generating environmental and economic value together.
Deep Sky recently selected Isometric as its first Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) protocol development partner.
As a pioneer in science-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) protocol development, Isometric will work with Deep Sky to develop an MRV protocol that will ensure transparency and credibility throughout Deep Sky’s carbon removal process.
Isometric will publish this protocol on its Science Platform, where it will undergo scrutiny from a network of independent scientists before being finalized, after which it can be used for the issuance of credits on the Isometric Registry.
Isometric’s protocol will lay out measurement guidelines to determine how much CO2 has been removed and to verify that what was purchased has been delivered to customers.
Once CDR facilities are built, Deep Sky will install instrumentation to determine CO2 flows and perform life cycle assessment calculations with the real-world operational data.
MRV protocols for carbon removal detail the data driven process that needs to be followed to ensure that every credit issued genuinely represents an additional tonne of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. This partnership is intended to showcase Deep Sky’s commitment to transparency as it develops Canada into a world-leading hub for durable and high-quality carbon removals.
“Carbon credit customers deserve confidence in their suppliers,” said Steel.
“We commend suppliers who, like Deep Sky, publicly share their MRV protocols, ensuring a transparent industry that can easily be measured and verified.
We’re proud to lead the way with a set of industry-leading standards, validated by Isometric, which is raising the bar when it comes to the quality of CDR credits.”
“We’re delighted to be collaborating with suppliers such as Deep Sky to ensure their processes meet the stringent rules of the Isometric Standard,” said Eamon Jubbawy, Isometric CEO and founder. “This work will allow Deep Sky to focus on building carbon removal facilities while generating the highest quality and most trusted credits on the market.”
The Isometric Standard is the world’s most stringent set of rules for issuing credits for carbon removed from the atmosphere.
Credits are only issued on Isometric’s Registry once a given removal has been certified to meet both the rigorous requirements of the Standard and the pathway-specific science and accounting processes outlined in an MRV protocol.
Deep Sky is working to build large-scale carbon removal and storage infrastructure in Canada.
Powered by renewable energy, Deep Sky’s facilities are strategically located in Quebec, a region with an abundance of hydroelectric power, immense wind power potential and a vast territory with the rich geological makeup required for carbon capture.
